The Others

Meet the Others: Angela Maritz

The Game Changers. The Rule Breakers. The Innovators. Discover some of the fantastic emerging talent showcasing their work at The Other Art Fair.

As a young girl Angela Maritz had a dream. This dream was that whatever she did one day needed to have the ability to affect people’s lives positively.  Angela creates artwork for people all over the world – artworks that provide you with an experience, it sparks joy in your home but more importantly your heart.

Q&A with the Artist

Tell us about who you are and what you do.  What is your background?

I am a full time artist working from my home studio in Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty of New Zealand. I specialize in colour, painting expressive large-scale original paintings for private collectors and commercial spaces. My artwork sparks joyful experiences within your home but more importantly your heart. Myself and my family moved to New Zealand from our home country, South Africa in 2007. I am mostly self taught. I took art as a subject in high school.

Where do you draw inspiration from and what does your work aim to say?

If you look at my work you would expect me to say that I draw my inspiration from nature. Yes, I do however my inspiration comes from the feelings experienced while being completely present within myself and my emotions. Inspiration finds me while I work. I want my work to evoke feelings within you that provide you with experiences of Joy.

I know that by acknowledging my full range of emotions through my work as an artist, opposed to suppressing them leads to more joy in my life. Because we cannot selectively suppress just our negative emotions.

I would like you to look at my work and ask yourself how is this painting making you feel? I would like my work to evoke something within you that is likened to blowing a soft breeze into the recesses of your emotions which make you smile.

Can you walk us through your process for creating a work?

I start off with expressive lines and fill the canvas or paper with colour. I then build upon the layers going on to paint these different genres:

  • Vases filled with flowers – Capturing the beautiful, bold vibrancy experienced in nature.
  • Blooms in focus – a feeling of freedom, calm and intricate beauty.
  • Land and Seascapes – expanding your world, pulsating with energy, space and freedom.
  • Animals – fun, flirty and wild, reflecting and connecting inner emotions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDAMGnUj62e/

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist and how did you overcome it?

As an artist facing rejection becomes part of the process. However the biggest challenge that I’ve faced is overcoming my own limiting beliefs. The belief that an art degree is what makes my work credible as well as all the other beliefs of self doubt and feelings of not being “good enough”.

It wasn’t until my late 30’s that I sat back and took stock of my achievements. I was already exhibiting extensively, I had galleries representing me in NZ and overseas, my work was published. It was selling well and I was enjoying worldwide recognition. However I needed to do more to begin to reach for my dreams and that meant giving up my “security blanket”, my part time job and stepping fully into my work as an artist.

Angela working en plein air in New Zealand.

 

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

Don’t stop painting!

A studio shot of Angela’s gulls in progress.

 

Shop artwork by Angela and other trailblazing artists at The Other Art Fair’s Online Studios.

Introducing The Other Art Fair Online Studios, a new online platform offering art lovers around the world access to over 800 Fair artists. The Online Studios will keep our community feeling inspired, engaged, and continue to spread joy through art.

See who’s in the Studios, click here...